Washing-machine.



J. G. STEENSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 6, 1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. STEENSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 6, 1910.

999, 130. Patented July 25,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awuemtoz Jsse GTSteenson witnesses J. G. STEENSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.6,1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jesse 85666125 07L 5W4 JESSE G. STEENSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed October 6, 1910., Serial No. 585,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn G. S'rnnNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements inWashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing machines and the object of theinvention is to provide a simple, efficient and durable machine by whichwashing may be readily and expeditiously accomplished.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined washingmachine and Wringer wherein the clothes to be treated are carried arounda drum and acted upon by a plurality of rolls together with means foroperatin the series to adjusta ly force it into engagement with the drumwhereby predetermined wringing pressuremay be brought to bear upon thegarment.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a washingmachine of this type which may have its mechanism readily removed fromthe tub and further means whereby the rollers may be readilydisconnected from their frames.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription'is read in connection with the accompanying drawing whichforms a Part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken awa. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse section on t e line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fi 4 is a detailsectional view taken on the ine4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof the machine with parts broken away. Fig. 6 is a detail perspectiveview of one of the side frames. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the oppositeside frame. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of a modified form.

Referring more particularly to the drawing 1' represents a tub whichcomprises a semi-cylindrical sheet of non-corrodible metal 2 such asgalvanized sheet iron or the like which hasits edges connected togetherby the side pieces 3. This tub is supported upon suitable legs 4 and isadapted to removably receive the Washing mechanism hereinafterdescribed. Mounted within the tub adjacent either side thereof are thesemicircular supporting frames 5 and 6 both upon the last one of havinglateral peripheral flanges 7 and a plurality of radial slots 8 and 9 intheir bodies. The slots 8 are open at their ends while the slots 9 areclosed. The purpose of this will be more fully explained hereinafter.These frames are connected together in spaced relation by cross rods 10and the upper end of each frame is provided with a cross brace orsupport 11 to which are secured centrally of their, length bearingbrackets 12in which are mounted the stub shafts 13 of the washingcylinder 14. This cylinder is preferably composed of a cylindricalair-tlght drumconstructed of some suitable non-corrodible metal and whenin place forms an outline parallel to the bottom 2 of the tub.

Mounted between the frame pieces-are a plurality of rollers 15preferably constructed of wood and having projecting from their ends thestub shafts 16 which are adaptedto play up and down in the slots 8 and9. Upon one side of each roller there is secured to the stub shaftthereof a sprocket gear 17 and all of the sprocket gears on the seriesof rollers are driven by an endless chain belt 18. The flanges 7 on theside members space the body 5 and 6 of the frames from the side walls ofthe tub and the sprocket in the form of a sprocket wheel 19 which.meshes with its upper stretch and is carried 1 upon an arm 20 pivotallymounted upon the shaft 21 journaled in a bracket 22 on the cross bar 11.The opposite end of the shaft '21 has loosely mounted thereon an arm 23which is provided with a pawl 24 adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 25keyed upon the shaft 21. This pawl is normally held 1n engagement withthe ratchet so as to turn the shaft 21 and depress the arm 20 by meansof a spring 26 which is connected between the arm 23. and one of thelegs 4 on the tub.

When clothes are passed between the rollersand the drum they are forcedaway from the drum, their pintles sliding in the slots 8 and 9, of theframe members, and as a consequence the upper stretch of the cha n 18 1stightened and the arm20 ralsed wh ch carries with it the shaft 21 andthe ratchet wheel 25. As the pawl 24 is constantly in engagement withthe ratchet wheel the arm i Wheel 17 and chain 18 lie in the spaceformed between the frames and the sides of the tub, i the rollers properbeing separated therefrom by the body of the frames. The chain whichdrives the rollers is provided with a tightener rollers 35.

23 is also elevated against the tension of the spring. The roller 15which is at the beginning of the series and between which and thecylinder the clothes are started, is shown in Fig. 3 as elevated abovethe edge of the tub and separated from the cylinder, while the roller atthe end of the series is held in adjustable engagement with the cylinderby means of bow-shaped springs 27. The springs are connected at one endto the pintles of this roller and at their opposite ends removablyconnected to levers 28 which are mounted upon the tub and have a lateralextension 29 to bring the same into engagement with the rack bars 30which are secured to the tub so that the levers may be held inadjusted-position, having sufiicient inherent resiliency to permit themto be sprung out of engagement with the rack bars when necessary toloosen the tension of the springs or to increase the same.

At the opposite end of the machine the first roller is shown slightlyseparated from the drum 14 and its pintles 16 slightly raised above theedge of the tub so as to permit the insertion of the lower leg of ahorseshoe spring 31. Suitably spaced lugs 32 hold the spring in positionupon the pintles and the upper leg is provided with similar or somewhatlonger lugs 33 in which is adapted to play the-extended pintles 34 ofthe mangle The tension of the spring is adjusted by means of a set screw36 which is threaded into the upper leg of .the spring and bears upon awear shoe 37 which rests upon the pintles. The opposite side of themachine is provided with a similar spring so as to equalize the pressureand cause the roller 35 to remain parallel with the end roller 15. p r rThe opposite sides of the rollers 15 from that upon which the sprocketwheels 17 are mounted have sprocket gear 38 mounted upon the rollerpintles and connected by a chain 39 which is tightened in a similarmanner to that described of the chain 18. The pressure at both ends ofthe rollers is thus equalized and when forced away from the drum 14 willmove in parallel relation with the periphery of the drum.

lnl ig. 8 the side frames 40 are shown as flat pieces of semi-circularoutline having apertures 41 therein to receive the pintles of therollers 42. These rollers in this instance are corrugated and mesh withsimilar corrugations upon the drum 43 and an operating shaft 44 iscentrally connected to the drum and slidably mounted in a bearing 45mounted upon a cross brace 46. A suitable spring 47 normally. holds thedrum in engagement with the rollers and a set screw 48 is arranged forincreasing the tension thereof. In this instance the wringer rollerwould operate against the next adjacent wooden roller'and the spring 27will be arranged horizontally instead of vertically as shown.

The last roller of the series is preferably made smooth for the wringerroll to bear against. A lever 49 is secured directly to the shaft 44 sothat the drum may be reciprocated in a rotary direction. One of therolls 42 may have a toothed gear thereon and the machine operated byower if desired.

In the operation of the device, the clothes are started in between thefirst roller and the drum and are carried around past the series ofrollers and lie against the face of the drum. They may be passed throughthis operation as many times as is found to be necessary to readilycleanse the same. As they pass from roller to roller the water issqueezed out of them and allowed to saturate the garment between therollers. This causes an alternate filling and expulsion of the garmentwith water which thoroughly cleanses the same. By the tighten ingmechanism shown, any predetermined pressures may be brought to bear uponthe garment treated and as any predetermined pressure may be brought tobear upon the wringer roller when the garment is finally washed, itcomes out of the machine comparatively dry. The mangle attachment may beused when necessary and is preferably used independent of the washingmachine, the chains being disconnected from the sprocket wheels androllers and the spring applied in the manner shown. Suitable cranks 49and 50 are provided at each end of the machine for operating either theentire machine or the wringer or mangle independently. These cranks havea clutch connection with the rollers so that they may be disconnectedfrom opposite engagement with the rollers and yet be in position to beoperated when necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a deviceof the class described, the combination with a tub, of a frame removablymounted therein, a washing cylinder carried by the frame, aplurality ofwashing rollers adjustably mounted in the frame, means to simultaneouslyrotate said rollers and means engaging said rotating means to hold therollers in engagement with the drum. l

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tub, ofseparated frames removably mounted therein, means for connecting theframes together, a washing cylinder rotatably mounted in the frames, aplurality of washing rollers adjustably mounted in the frames, means tosimultaneously drive all of said rollers, and means engaging saidrotating means to hold the rollers in resilient engagement. with thecylinder.

3. In a device of the class described, the

, combination with a tub, of a pair of slotted direction, and resilientmeans for tighten-' ing said chain whereby the rollers are flexibly heldin engagement with the Washing cylinder.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tub, of apair of slotted frames connected together and removably mounted in thetub, a support carried by each of said frames, a washing cylindermounted in said supports, a plurality of washing rollers adjustablymounted in the slots in said frames and having sprocket Wheels mountedthereon, a sprocket chain interconnecting all of said rollers andadapted to simultaneously drive the same in one direction, an adjustabletension roller for engaging said chain, and a spring retracted operatingmember for said tension roller.

5. -In a device of the class described, the combination with a tub, of aframe removably mounted therein, a washing'cylinder journaled in theframe, a plurality of washing rollers held in resilient engagement withthe washing cylinder, means to simultaneously drive said rollers andthereby the cylinder, means to hold the rollers in resilient engagementwith the cylinder and means to independently adjust the pressure of oneof said rollers against the cylinder for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE G. STEENSON. Witnesses:

SAMUEL STEENSON, J12, A. 0-. CoRNwELL.

